Orthodox and church holidays and fasts
Today is an Orthodox church holiday: * Great Martyr Euphemia the All-Praised (memory of the miracle by which Orthodoxy was established, 451). * Equal to the Apostles Grand Duchess Olga of Russia, in holy baptism Helena (969) and other saints whose names we remember on this day... Tomorrow:
* Martyrs Proclus and Hilary (c. 98-117).
* St. Michael Malein (962) and other saints whose names we remember on this day... Holidays are expected: 07/26/2021
- * Cathedral of the Archangel Gabriel.
* St. Stephen Savvait (794) and other saints whose names we remember on this day... 07.27.2021
- * Apostle Aquila of the 70 (I) and other saints whose names we remember on this day...
07.28.2021
- * Martyrs of Kirik and Julitta, his mother (c. 305). *** Equal to the Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir, in holy baptism Vasily, Baptist of Rus' (1015) and other saints whose names we remember on this day...
All Orthodox and church holidays and fasts...
Orthodox Saints of God
The holy saints of God show special love and mercy to those who honor their holy memory.
It seems to many that the saints are far from us. But they are far from those who have withdrawn themselves, and very close to those who keep the commandments of Christ and have the grace of the Holy Spirit.
The holy saints in their earthly life turned to God for help in healing their ailments, sorrows and deliverance from temptations, asking God that even after death He would honor them with the gift of helping people in various cases of life.
The saints have reached the Heavenly Kingdom and there they see the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ; but by the Holy Spirit they also see the suffering of people on earth. Many holy saints of God received special grace from God, and He deigned them to be intercessors before Him for deliverance from our sorrows and bodily ailments, in which they themselves were tempted.
The saints rejoice at our repentance and mourn when people leave God and become like foolish cattle. They feel sorry that people live on earth, not knowing that if they loved each other, then there would be freedom from sin on earth: and where there is no sin, there is joy and gladness from the Holy Spirit, so that, wherever you look, everything sweet, and the soul wonders why it feels so good, and praises God. The saints hear our prayers and have the power from God to help us. The entire Christian race knows about this. We must remember: in order for a prayer to be heard, one should pray to the holy saints of God with faith in the power of their intercession before God, in words coming from the heart.
In our prayers we turn to the Lord God, to His Most Pure Mother - our Intercessor and Helper, to the holy Angels and holy people - the saints of God, because for their sake the Lord God is more likely to hear us sinners, our prayers. The Saints have different names: prophets, apostles, martyrs, saints, saints, unmercenaries, blessed, righteous, confessors. more>>
The Lord says: “When you light a candle, you do not put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and it gives light to everyone in the house. So let your light shine before people, so that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:15-16). Saints are bright stars that show us the way to the Kingdom of Heaven.
Let us treasure the closeness of the holy saints of God to God and turn to them for help, remembering that they love us and care about our salvation. It is good to pray to the holy saints of God on those days when the Church celebrates their memory.
«Holy Saints of God, pray to God for us!»
Saints: life, memory, suffering...
Spouses who became schemamonks
Kirill and Maria were of a boyar family. They lived near Rostov the Great. The Monk Kirill served the prince, but he was a simple man, so he did not avoid simple village concerns. They were very God-fearing and pious people. Mary spent her days in fasting and prayer.
While expecting the birth of their second child, the couple felt the special mercy of God. Once a woman was standing at a service in the temple, and the baby cried out three times in the womb. The reverent couple promised to dedicate the child to Heavenly Father. Maria took great care of her spiritual life and avoided everything indecent. This is the first thing that the lives of the saints teach us - the upbringing of children begins even before they are born; this period should be especially sanctified by turning to the Creator.
3
May
1314
The baby Bartholomew came into the world, who was destined to fulfill his parental vow and become the abbot of the Russian land, the miracle worker of all Russia - St. Sergius.
Priest Michael, who baptized the child, said in great excitement:
“Rejoice and be glad, for this child will be the chosen vessel of God, the abode and servant of the Holy Trinity.”
The baby was truly extraordinary. From the very moment he was born, he began to struggle - on Wednesdays and Fridays he did not take his mother's milk. He also abstained from breastfeeding at other times if his mother tried meat. Gradually, Mary began to strictly abstain from food. Thus, the baby helped his mother understand some of the basics of Christian life. All she had to do was listen to him. And this is the second thing that the biography of the holy couple tells us - “through the mouth of a child the truth speaks.”
Useful materials
Numerous attacks by the Mongol-Tatars brought a lot of trouble to the Russian people. They brought the family of boyar Kirill to ruin. In 1328, parents and children moved from their native Rostov to the Principality of Moscow - to the city of Radonezh. Kirill was already advanced in age and could not serve the prince; the elder Stefan took over this. Peter, the youngest son, found himself a wife and started living on his own farm.
Fulfillment of a vow
Bartholomew remained with his father and mother. The young man asked his parents for permission to go to the monastery. His father and mother blessed him, but with the condition that he could enter the monastic path only after his parents’ death. Bartholomew has always been their support. The son obeyed and tried to make the last years of his parents’ lives easier, helping and protecting them in everything.
Blessed death in the monastery
According to ancient tradition, many people in their old age, having raised children, went to a monastery. The Monks Cyril and Maria did the same. They lived their whole lives piously, helping the orphans and the poor, giving shelter to strangers. The blessed couple completed their godly earthly life in the Khotkovsky Intercession Monastery, which at that time was both male and female. In the monastery, located near Radonezh, they first accepted monasticism, and then the schema. They did not have long to live in the monastery. Before their death in 1337, they blessed their middle son for spiritual achievement.
The relics of the schema-monks have since rested in the Intercession Khotkovsky Monastery (now a women's monastery).
The Monk Sergius ordered the pilgrims to bow to his father and mother before going to him.
Interesting fact
The days of remembrance of the blessed couple are celebrated on October 11, January 31, July 19.
Cancer with the relics of St. Cyril and Mary in the Intercession Cathedral of the Khotkov Monastery
Orthodox prayers and icons of the Mother of God and saints
The word “icon” comes from the Greek language and means “image”, “image”. The image of the icon is consecrated with holy water and special prayers, through this consecration the grace of the Holy Spirit is imparted to the icon, and the icon is already revered by us as holy. According to the Orthodox dogma of icon veneration, approved by the VII Ecumenical Council, “the honor given to an icon relates to its prototype, and the one who worships the icon worships the hypostasis of the person depicted on it.” The Council especially emphasizes that we give veneration to icons, and not the worship that is due to God alone. “The icon mysteriously contains within itself the presence of the one whom it depicts, and this presence is the closer, more grace-filled and stronger, the more the icon corresponds to the church canon.”
All Icons of the Mother of God and Saints
Miracles through the prayers of St. Cyril and Maria of Radonezh
Judging by the month books of those times, special veneration of saints began in the 19th century. However, even before that, Saints Cyril and Mary of Radonezh interceded with the Lord for all those who flowed to their venerable relics. Faith in the patronage of the parents of St. Sergius increased after the miracles that occurred following appeals to the saints of God.
Interesting fact
The history of the Khotkovo Monastery tells how the monks protected the people during the period of rampant cholera (in the 18th and 19th centuries). At this time, prayers were continuously served in front of their tomb and the Psalter was read.
The website of the Khotkovo monastery describes numerous healings that occurred through the prayerful sighs of the monk. They talk about cures for paralysis, rheumatism, and encephalitis. Significant incidents still occur today.
In 1995, among a group of pilgrims who arrived at the relics of the holy schema-monks, there was a woman who regularly communicated with psychics. In the temple, the demon bound her body, she was completely twisted so that she could not move. With difficulty, the woman was led to the ark with the relics, and immediately she became the same - she turned pink, smiled and, as if nothing had happened, began to communicate with other pilgrims. After this event, the woman began to travel to holy places and was soon completely cured of her demonic condition.
There were cases of help in family relationships. One young woman said that her husband left the family. But she prayed to the monks with such faith that one day she heard: “We are Reverends Cyril and Maria, we will not let you be offended.” Soon her husband returned to the family, and love and harmony reigned between them.
They testify to cases when water and oil from the relics were given to terminally ill people, and they received complete healing.
Prayer in the Christian life. What is prayer? About prayer
Prayer is the most important part of the spiritual life of every believer. Through prayer, a person turns to God, asks him and asks for forgiveness from him. In other words, prayer is nothing more than a person’s way of talking with God. About prayer...
The basis of the life of an Orthodox Christian is fasting and prayer. Prayer, said Saint Philaret of Moscow, “is a conversation between the soul and God.” And just as in a conversation it is impossible to listen to one side all the time, so in prayer it is useful to sometimes stop and listen to the Lord’s answer to our prayer.
Prayer does not require a specific time, place, circumstance or form. It can be verbose - long, and laconic - short. The prayer can be said at any time of the day or night, and anywhere. A person can pray under all circumstances of his life: when he is sick or healthy, when he is happy or sad, when he succeeds or fails, when he is in the company of his enemies or in the circle of his friends, when he is abandoned by everyone, or when he in the midst of your beloved family. But God’s temple serves as a special place of prayer. On Sundays, as well as on weekdays, if time permits, we should go to church to pray, where our brothers and sisters in Christ - Christians - gather to pray together, all together. This kind of prayer is called church prayer.
Every Orthodox Christian must pray daily, morning and evening, before and after eating food, before starting and at the end of any task (for example: before teaching and after teaching, etc.).
In the morning we pray to thank God for preserving us last night, to ask for His Fatherly blessing and help for the day that has begun.
In the evening, before going to bed, we also thank the Lord for a successful day and ask him to keep us during the night.
Before and after meals we pray to thank God for His gifts and ask Him to bless and sanctify the food.
In order for the work to be done successfully and safely, we must also, first of all, ask God for blessings and help for the upcoming work, and upon completion, thank God.
Unfortunately, many people forget about the necessity and importance of prayer, and resort to it only in cases of feeling hopeless. However, even in these cases, as practice shows, God does not forget about the person and gives him his love and support. But not a single prayer will bring anything good to a person if he simply reads it without thinking about what is said. Therefore, it is extremely important, when turning to the Creator in prayer, to truly feel every word.
God is the best of interlocutors; he will always hear a person and help him. You should not be embarrassed to talk to God even about the most secret things that are in your soul. The main thing is to do it with true faith in God.
“True prayer does not consist in words and saying them, but true prayer consists “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23). When we pray to God, we must stand before Him not only in body, but also in spirit; and say prayer not only with your lips, but also with your mind and heart; and not only bow our heads and knees, but also our hearts before Him; and raise our intelligent eyes to Him with humility. For all prayer must come from the heart; and what the tongue says, the mind and heart must say.” Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk.
And no matter what happens during the day, everything happens according to the will of God; all, without exception, are circumstances in which the Lord wished to place you, so that you could be His presence, His love, His compassion. His creative mind, His courage... And, besides, whenever you encounter this or that situation, you are the one whom God put there to carry out the ministry of a Christian, to be a part of the Body of Christ and the action of God. If you do this, you will easily see that sometimes you will have to turn to God and say: “Lord, enlighten my mind, strengthen and direct my will, give me a fiery heart, help me!” At other times you will be able to say, “Oh my God, thank you!”
In the Christian catechism, that is, in the instruction on the Christian faith, it is said about prayer this way: “Prayer is the offering of the mind and heart to God and is a person’s reverent word to God.” Prayer has extraordinary power. “Prayer not only defeats the laws of nature, not only is it an insurmountable shield against visible and invisible enemies, but it even holds back the hand of the Almighty God Himself, raised to defeat sinners,” writes Saint Demetrius of Rostov.
In the New Testament, prayer is a living connection between the children of God and their infinitely good Father, with His Son Jesus Christ and with the Holy Spirit. The grace of the Kingdom is “the unity of the entire Holy Trinity with the entire spirit.” Thus, prayer life is a constant and natural presence in the presence of the Trisagion of God and in communion with Him. Such vital communion is always possible because through baptism our being has become one with Christ. Prayer is Christian because it is communion with Christ and grows in the Church, which is His Body. Its dimensions are the dimensions of Christ's love.
“Prayer is not telling God our needs. Prayer is the condition under which Divine power can contact our spirit and act in us. God is omniscient and knows us better than we know ourselves.” Archimandrite Rafail (Karelin) (XX century).
The power of the intercession of the Mother of God, St. Cyril and Mary and St. Sergius is manifested in miracles performed throughout the history of the Khotkov Monastery.
In 1770–1771, Russia suffered one of the worst national disasters. Cholera, or, as they said then, a pestilence, destroyed the population of various cities and villages of our fatherland and, reaching Moscow, exterminated many people here. The Khotkovo nuns turned to the intercession of the Mother of God and their heavenly patrons, the Venerables Kirill and Mary. Before the image of the Tikhvin Mother of God, water-blessing prayers were served, and a prayer was compiled for the saints to read at each “Glory” the Undying Psalter at their holy relics. This prayer was constantly read and rewritten in the Intercession Monastery. As the records of that dangerous time say: “It was read from August to December. And through the prayers of the saints of God, the entire monastery was delivered from this plague. And from other countries those who came to them with faith to pray during the pestilence served prayer services to Our Lady of Tikhvin, enclosing this prayer to the saints.” Thus, through the prayers of heavenly representatives, the monastery got rid of a terrible disease.
The second similar miracle occurred in 1848, during another cholera outbreak. The Tikhvin icon with prayer singing was carried around all the monastery cells and not one of the sisters suffered from illness. From the end of May to October, large numbers of people from surrounding villages gathered in Khotkovo for prayer singing and all-night vigils, ending with a memorial service for the parents of St. Sergius. Thanks to the intense prayers of the Mother of God and Saints Cyril and Mary, the epidemic stopped in the vicinity of the monastery. The Church Chronicle of the Intercession Khotkovo nunnery says: “In memory of this miraculous deliverance from the disease, it is established to perform a prayer service before the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God after the hours before the Liturgy every Saturday, at which the entire canon is read with the singing of choruses, a prayer to the Mother of God and a prayer to the saints of God, Schemamonk Kirill and Schema-nun Maria." This tradition was reverently observed in the monastery before the revolution.
The monastery chronicle preserved the story of the third deliverance of the monastery from cholera. In 1871, a religious procession was again held from the Lavra with the icon of St. Sergius. At the end of May, the image was carried around the surrounding area on a special hearse; The icon was taken from the Lavra for the second time at the end of July. “Our monastery,” the Khotkovsky priest Voznesensky says in the Chronicle, “on both visits to him (the image of St. Sergius) was honored with icons and banners in the presence of a host of all the monks and nuns of the monastery to meet him, accompanied by a large crowd... Our monastery was delivered, as in the previous cholera, from the epidemic through the intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, St. Sergius and his parents. Not a single sister, despite the large gathering of pilgrims, among whom were sick, was susceptible to infection.” Also in the vicinity of the monastery, the epidemic and death of horses, which befell the nearest villages simultaneously with cholera, stopped.
Khotkovo Archpriest Alexy Lebedev talks about the miraculous healing of the daughter of a peasant from the Simbirsk province, Tatyana Ivanova: “This happened in 1868. After falling into the river in the winter, she fell ill with rheumatism. The disease caused ulcers to form all over the body, from which a foul odor emanated. She could not walk and was in bed for more than 12 years. On the eve of the Holy Resurrection of Christ, her brother cruelly offended her, ordering her to be taken to a cattle hut for the holiday because of the stench. Tatyana found this order from her brother very sad, and she cried bitterly before God that her brother could no longer tolerate the stench of her wounds, and she should spend bright and joyful days with calves and lambs. With tears in her eyes, she seemed to fall asleep before the Matins of the Holy Resurrection of Christ, and she imagined that a gray-haired old man in a robe stood in front of her, with his head bowed, and said to her: “Don’t cry, don’t grieve and don’t murmur, but give thanks and pray to God.” , and call upon St. Sergius and Cyril and Mary.” And, having blessed her, he became invisible. After that, she woke up and saw that there was no one, and only the lamp was glowing, and she felt relief and no longer felt the aches. Her mother in the morning took the rags off the wounds and, seeing that only bare bones and sinews remained, and learning from her that the aches and pains had subsided, she washed her, put on clean linen and began to await her death. The brother began to reproach his mother for not taking her out to the barn again, to which the mother said: “Why take her out - she will soon die.” Tatyana, on the contrary, felt much better and began to sit. On Bright Tuesday, her wounds began to heal and close, and the stench from them was no longer there since Bright Tuesday, and she began to get better hour by hour. When she began to walk and became somewhat stronger, they began to tell her to go and pray to God and thank St. Sergius for the healing. But her mother, seeing her weakness, did not let her go, fearing that she would die on the road, and the girl postponed her pilgrimage until another year. Despite this, many convinced her not to put off thanking God and to go without fail, which is what she decided to do. On the way, when she entered the Sarov hermitage, where she confessed and received the Holy Mysteries of Christ, the schema-monk, whose name she does not remember, saw her and grabbed her by the shoulder from behind, said to her: “Go to St. Sergius and thank him, his parents Cyril and Maria healed you, thank them too.” At first she thought that this old man appeared to her in a dream, but, looking at him carefully, she did not recognize him as the one who appeared to her, and said that she was afraid that due to poor health she might die on the road. He answered: “Don’t be afraid, Cyril and Maria and St. Sergius will preserve you with their prayers, and you will be completely healthy. It is not far from the monastery of St. Sergius and his venerable parents rest in a nunnery in Khotkovo, which is only 10 miles away. And if you don’t go, the Lord will punish you, and you won’t even think about returning home.” Surprised by this elder, who unknown how learned about her illness and the appearance of St. Sergius, she decided to go and the closer she came to the monastery of St. Sergius, the stronger her strength and health became, and she came to the monastery on Peter’s Fast. Having prayed to the Lord God and thanked St. Sergius for his appearance, she went to the Khotkov Monastery. When she began to venerate the image of St. Cyril, her head, which until then had been tilted to the right side due to the contracted veins, suddenly became straight, her neck also straightened and began to turn freely. Delighted at such a miraculous healing and venerating the image of the Venerable Mary, she began to talk about this healing and was taken to the abbess of the monastery, Philarete, to whom she told everything. Having been healed, she remained in the monastery. Now she is completely healthy, only when she does hard work she soon gets tired. I testify to this by the priesthood of her spiritual father, Khotkovsky Archpriest Alexy Lebedev.”
Another Khotkovo priest, Sergius Ternovsky, gives a story about the healing of the ryassophore novice of the Khotkovo monastery Agrippina, a monk named Archelaus, who suffered from paralysis for three months. Unbearable pain did not allow the unfortunate woman to sleep. “On the night of January 8, 1879, Agrippina, as usual, did not sleep and, in great grief of heart, having lost hope of receiving any benefit from the treatment, began to mentally turn in prayer to St. Sergius and ask him for help. Before the stroke of Matins, at about 4 o'clock, having fallen asleep from exhaustion, she sees the following dream: she seems to be standing in the temple of St. Sergius, in which there was no one except her. Approaching the saint’s shrine, she really wanted to look at his face and dared to lift the veil from his face. At that very moment it seemed to her that the Reverend was getting up from the shrine, which she was greatly frightened of and rushed to run to Khotkov shouting: “Sisters! The Reverend is coming!” He came to her in the hospital and ordered her to kneel, pray and repent, and he himself knelt and prayed with her. Having confessed her, reminding her of all the sins of her youth, the Reverend prayed again and left. Waking up from a knock on the door, Agrippina thought that he had returned and got out of bed, although until that moment she could not move. She thanked the Reverend with tears and from then on she was not ill until her death.
The saints of God protect our monastery and all those who trust in their help and intercession. The tombs of Saints Cyril and Mary, located in the Intercession Khotkovo Monastery, testify to numerous healings of infants whose parents turned to the saints in prayer.
Tyutkova G.V. from Serpukhov reported the healing of her son Bogdan from encephalitis. “The doctors said: if the child is not treated, he will not be able to sit or walk. My grief knew no bounds. This child was long-awaited and late, since my husband and I had been waiting for him for six years. I went to church, prayed to the Lord God, received the Holy Mysteries of Christ, and the Lord sent us a child. We named him Bogdan. Father Nikon (in Serpukhov) told us that we needed to bring the boy’s cap and vest and place it in the holy tomb of the Venerables Cyril and Mary (part of the relics of the Saints is kept in the Vysotsky Monastery). He himself put the child's things there, where they lay for some time. Father copied the Reverend’s prayer for us, we read it every day and constantly communed the Holy Mysteries of Christ to our boy. Gradually, Bogdan began to get better, then he began to sit and walk, keeping up with his peers in development, to think rationally, and to speak everything. Now he has been removed from the neurologist’s register of patients. Our entire family thanks the Lord God for the miraculous healing of our son. December 19, 1993"
An employee of the pilgrimage service of the brotherhood of St. Alexy V. Khokhlova reports on one of the trips: “We left Samara after the Annunciation, on April 8, 1995, and the next morning we were already at the Epiphany Cathedral in Moscow. In Khotkovo, in the Intercession Cathedral of the monastery, pilgrims witnessed a miracle. When we entered there, one woman from our group, without having time to take a few steps, suddenly stopped and froze. Her face took on the features of a marble statue, her hands were twisted, and she was unable to move them. The husband, walking next to the woman, began to make the sign of the cross over her. The nuns of the monastery anointed her with oil from the lamp, then they laid the unfortunate woman on a bench and decided to add it to the relics of the venerable parents of Sergius of Radonezh. The woman was dragged with difficulty to the shrine, with great effort they applied it to the shrine, and in front of everyone she turned pink, smiled, and after a few minutes she began to walk around the temple. Later I found out that a few years ago the woman turned to psychics, received treatment from them, and then also took courses from these pseudo-healers. During one of the classes, she lost consciousness: a demon entered her and tied up her body. She had to turn to the true healer - God. My husband and I began to travel to holy places, which made her feel noticeably better. Our pilgrim group returned to Samara on Palm Sunday. We were greeted by the gentle sun and blue sky. Thank you, Lord, for a wonderful trip."
“I arrived at the Khotkov Monastery on March 24, 1996 with a group of pilgrims from Samara. These were dark times for me. I had an outwardly problem-free life, a good job and a prosperous family, but inside I was filled with bitterness, despair, hopelessness, disappointment in people and disbelief in my own spiritual rebirth. The life around me seemed dirty, and my own spiritual wretchedness unbearable. All attempts to break out of this deadlock were unsuccessful. It seemed to me that I was at some point... I entered the monastery bitter and depressed, without love and pity for people, without hope and faith for the best. I approached the relics of Saints Cyril and Mary because everyone else was approaching. At the same time, I thought about St. Sergius of Radonezh as a real saint. I didn’t believe in the holiness of his parents. Then, standing in the church at the service, I felt that the pain in my right hand, which had been bothering me for the last eight months, had gone away. Pain and weakness in the hand were associated with the forced position of the right hand while working on an ultrasound machine while examining patients. I got used to this state, and it was so joyful and unexpected that everything disappeared. I came to treat my soul, not my hand. Saints Cyril and Mary took pity on me as their daughter, who had little faith and was unlucky, and gave me a sign of hope. I entered the monastery with a burnt branch, and came out with a small green leaf at the end. Ahead was the Trinity-Sergiva Lavra. Ageeva N.D. (43).”
Pilgrim from the village of Mokshan, Penza region Sidorova N.S. says: “At the beginning of September 1996, we arrived at the monastery for evening service. My six-year-old grandson Seryozha was with me. Doctors diagnosed his adenoids of the second degree, the disease progressed, his hearing had already begun to decline, and the child was predicted to undergo surgery. Seryozha was happily looking forward to his trip to St. Sergius of Radonezh. With hope and tenderness, he approached the holy relics of his faithful parents in Khotkovo and fervently prayed before the icon of St. Sergius. We spent the night in the temple. At five o'clock in the morning we arrived at the Lavra. There we were accompanied by an icy and piercing wind. I thought I had ruined the boy. With trepidation and reverence we venerated the relics of St. Sergius of Radonezh. After mass and Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, we visited the holy spring. On the way back home, I spoke to Seryozha and discovered that he had clear speech and excellent hearing! Soon this event became known to our companions. And now I tirelessly tell people about this healing.”
“Mothers, forgive me, bless me! ... I have no one to ask to go to your monastery, but I can’t do it myself. I have run out of holy oil from the relics of St. Kirill and Maria. This oil is amazing for burns. I’ve already burned my fingers 4 times badly, either with boiling water or with matches, it was very painful, but after I smeared it with this oil, after a while the pain completely went away. Maybe you will have a chance to share some butter with someone... Gubaidullina A.V. Moscow. 2001"
The priest of the Intercession Khotkov Monastery, Hieromonk John (Korchukov), told how in August 2004, in the monastery, a woman of about thirty, who had come from the city of Georgievsk, Stavropol Territory, approached him for confession and told him her story: she suffered great sorrows in her family, The relationship with my husband became complicated. He left his family and caused her a lot of suffering. She revered Saints Cyril and Mary, prayed to them, and one day heard an amazing voice: “We are Saints Kirill and Mary, we will not let you be offended.” After some time, peace and former prosperity returned to the family. The woman went to the Intercession Monastery to thank her for the promised help.
In 2004, a child, Daniil, was born to a young couple from Moscow. He had an intestinal obstruction, he was kept in the hospital all the time and was already being prepared for a complex operation. The young mother’s aunt turned to Hieromonk John (Korchukov) at the Pokrovsky Monastery, who advised them to gather all their relatives for confession. Nine people gathered. Father John confessed, and Father Varnava (Losev), dean of the Moscow Theological Academy, performed the Baptism of the baby. During the Sacraments, everyone approached the holy relics. People sincerely prayed, kissed each other, and asked Saints Cyril and Mary for healing. After the Sacraments were performed, they called in the evening and reported that the child’s intestinal activity had improved, and in the coming days, the chief pediatric surgeon, having examined the child, unexpectedly announced that no illness was observed and therefore surgery was no longer required. Everyone understood that through the faith, prayer and repentance of the family, the Lord showed His mercy to the child.
“Glory to the Lord for everything! Vladislav, Tatyana and Jr. are writing this story. Anastasia. On January 31, 2006, our long-awaited daughter, Nastenka, was finally born. Before that, we didn’t have children for 13 years. In April 2005 we came to the Lavra, to St. Sergius of Radonezh. The relics had the idea to go to his parents, to the Khotkovsky Monastery, which we did. And a month later I was already pregnant. The doctors didn’t believe it at first, they said “it couldn’t be.” Through the prayers of St. Cyril and Mary, we are now happy in the child. We gave birth to Nastya at 38 years old. Glory to Thee, O God in Thy Saints! Yastrebova Tatiana"
“I would like to tell you about the wonderful help of the Khotkovo Saints to our family. At the very beginning of my pregnancy, we came to the Intercession Khotkov Monastery in order to venerate the Holy Monks Cyril and Mary. At the shrine with the relics, we prayed fervently and asked for help from the Saints. I was 36 years old. I placed all my hope, all my trust in the Lord, the Queen of Heaven and the Holy Saints of God. The pregnancy proceeded without complications. At the right time, the daughter asked to be born. The birth was quick and easy. Our baby was born on January 31 - the day of remembrance of the Holy Monks Cyril and Mary. They christened their daughter with the name Maria. We are happy to come to the Holy Abode. The monks became patrons of our family. We strive here with our hearts and souls. Again and again, with gratitude, trembling and reverence, we resort to the precious Shrine and receive as a gift consolation, strengthening, and joy. Saints Reverends Cyril and Maria, pray to God for us! Aleshin family. Moscow region."
“Dear in the Lord, Mother Olympias and sisters! Peace to you! I cordially congratulate you on the Patronal Feast of St. Rev. Cyril and Mary of Radonezh! Thank you for your holy prayers. During the birth of my eldest daughter Valeria, you read the Unsleeping Psalter, and so Vanechka was born, although prematurely, but I visited you, prayed, and all the diagnoses that were given to him in the hospital after birth did not happen again, thank God! I am sending a photo of Vanechka as a bow from him and from us, and I ask him to bless him. With love in the Lord, Tatyana and all my loved ones. Perfilyeva T.A. Krasnoyarsk 30.01.2008"
A young female doctor working as a resuscitation surgeon in a famous hospital spoke about the miracle that happened to her. In February, during childbirth, she died on the operating table from severe bleeding and prayed for salvation. Suddenly the Monks Kirill and Maria appeared to her and said: “You will stay alive for the salvation of other people, but do not dare take money from the sick.” She gave birth safely and lived. She herself informed Mother Superior about what had happened.
On October 7 of this year, my friend and I went to worship at the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. On the way we stopped in Khotkovo, at the Pokrovsky Monastery. While still on the train, my friend became ill. We had a stroller and three children. We barely reached the monastery. The friend stayed on the playground. I went to the temple and then barely persuaded her to go and venerate the relics. She barely stood up. As soon as I kissed, everything went away immediately. And the other day my godfather was admitted to the hospital. When my mother and I arrived there, we were immediately told that it would take days, even hours. Thrombus. He lay all blue. I brought oil and water with me. He was able to drink a couple of sips, they anointed him with oil, and at night he felt better. The doctors and nurses didn't believe it. They didn't even think that he would get up. Now he feels much better and is walking. And in the ward they were surprised at what happened. After all, everyone heard what the doctor said: “He will die at any moment.” The oil is on his shelf, everyone uses it. God willing, it will help them too. Servant of God Elena, 2011
I, Nadezhda Ivanovna Zhuravleva, who lives in Melitopol in Ukraine, often come to see my sick sister. She lives in the Moscow region in the city of Ivanteevka, her legs hurt, and she could hardly walk with a stick. I brought her to the relics of the saint. Cyril and Mary, ordered a prayer service, and venerated the holy relics. The next day my sister walked without a cane. So the priests helped her. Kirill and Maria. We are very grateful to them. In Melitopol, Orthodox Christians love and know the saint. Cyril and Mary, etc. Sergius, they are healed with oil from their relics, they treat sore spots with holy water, they order prayer services for them, and I happily bring oil to my friends, St. water from your monastery. I bow to you to the ground.
One of the letters about healing ends with the following words of gratitude: “Wonderful are Your works, Lord! God is marvelous in His saints! Glory, honor and praise to the holy saints of God, St. Cyril and Mary, to our wonderful free doctors and miracle workers. I turn to them constantly in the circle of my everyday life, both big and small, and I always feel their help, intercession, and guidance. And it becomes so fused with your life that you simply begin to take it all for granted, you feel like a child, a part of one big family, headed by the saint’s parents. Sergius, and therefore our spiritual parents – Reverends Kirill and Maria.”
Many other miracles are being performed these days related to the name of Saints Cyril and Mary, the Wonderworkers of Radonezh. So to this day, fervent prayer offered at their holy relics receives a quick answer, and whoever turns with faith to these wondrous saints of God will undoubtedly receive heavenly help from them.
Rejoice, Saints Cyril and Mary, zealous prayer books for us before God!
We have a request for you...
The articles on our website cover all parishes of the Gagauz autonomy. To continue the fruitful operation of the site, we need your help!
Please support the website "Orthodox Gagauzia" .
You can send us any donation to keep the site running. We can't do it without your help! Donate
Holy Fathers on Prayer
“Prayer is a great weapon, an unfailing treasure, wealth that never runs out, a serene haven, a foundation of peace; prayer is the root, source and mother of countless blessings and is more powerful than royal power.” St. John Chrysostom.
“Prayer in its rank is higher than alms.” St. Isaac the Syrian.
“Prayer is the emergence in our hearts of one after another reverent feelings towards God.” St. Feofan, the Recluse of Vyshensky.
“During prayer, let our speech and supplication be combined with decorum, calmness and modesty. Let us think about the fact that we stand before the face of God and that we must please the eyes of God both by the position of the body and the sound of the voice.” Sschmch. Cyprian of Carthage.
“You must abstain from marital affairs in order to engage in prayer; to abstain from worries about wealth, from the desire for earthly glory, from the enjoyment of pleasures, from envy and every evil deed against our neighbor, so that when our soul is in silence and not disturbed by any passion, in it, as in a mirror, God’s purity and uncloudedness will be insight." St. Basil the Great.
“When starting a prayer, leave yourself, your wife, your children, part with the earth, pass through heaven, leave every creature visible and invisible, and begin by praising Him who created everything, and when you praise Him, do not wander your mind here and there, do not talk about fabulous things. pagan, but choose words from the Holy Scriptures.” St. Basil the Great.
“Every place and every time is convenient for us to pray.” St. John Chrysostom.
Orthodox prayers to the holy saints. Holy saints of God.
Orthodox prayers for those in need for various needs and infirmities.
What a Christian Should Remember
There are words of Holy Scripture and prayers that it is advisable to know by heart.
1. The Lord's Prayer “Our Father” (Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4). 2. The main commandments of the Old Testament (Deut. 6:5; Lev. 19:18). 3. The main gospel commandments (Matt. 5, 3-12; Matt. 5, 21-48; Matt. 6, 1; Matt. 6, 3; Matt. 6, 6; Matt. 6, 14-21; Matt. 6, 24-25; Matthew 7, 1-5; Matthew 23, 8-12; John 13, 34). 4.Symbol of Faith. 5. Morning prayers and evening prayers according to a short prayer book. 6. The number and meaning of the sacraments.
The sacraments must not be mixed with rituals. A ritual is any outward sign of reverence that expresses our faith. A sacrament is a sacred act during which the Church calls on the Holy Spirit, and His grace descends on the believers. There are seven such sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Communion (Eucharist), Repentance (Confession), Marriage (Wedding), Blessing of Anointing (Unction), Priesthood (Ordination) ...
